''Washington Melodrama'' is a 1941 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

S. Sylvan Simon S. Sylvan Simon (March 9, 1910 – May 17, 1951) was an American stage/film director and producer. He directed numerous Hollywood films in the late 1930s to 1940s, and was the producer of '' Born Yesterday'' (1950). Life and work Born in Chic ...

and starring

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...

Ann Rutherford Therese Ann Rutherford (November 2, 1917 – June 11, 2012) was a Canadian-born American actress in film, radio, and television. She had a long career starring and co-starring in films, playing Polly Benedict during the 1930s and 1940s in the And ...

, and

Kent Taylor Kent Taylor (born Louis William Weiss; May 11, 1907 – April 11, 1987) was an American actor of film and television. Taylor appeared in more than 110 films, the bulk of them B-movies in the 1930s and 1940s, although he also had roles in more pr ...

Plot

It is 1941 and the United States remains at an uneasy peace. Prominent

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

industrialist turned philanthropist Calvin Claymore is the prime force behind a proposed Senate bill to feed the starving children of war-ravaged Europe. He is fiercely opposed by brash young newspaper publisher Hal Thorne, who fears the food will end up hijacked by the fascist militaries. One evening after a draining committee meeting, Claymore receives a doleful call from his wife informing him that rather than returning home she and his only child, daughter Laurie, will continue their extended globe-hopping several more months. Heartsick, he seeks to retire quietly to his home, as has become his lamented custom. His retreat is foiled by his well-meaning secretary, who recruits a high-spirited U.S. Senator that cajoles his old pal into going to an unusually frisky nightclub. There Claymore makes the acquaintance of a very attractive young girl from an entertainment troupe performing both dance and water ballet numbers, Mary Morgan. He is a gentleman in every way throughout the evening with her, but in his loneliness bidding her goodnight he asks if he can see her again. She agrees, and they innocently spend a happy summer exploring the sights and public highlights of the Capital. As the season comes to an end neither wants their friendship to wane with it, but Claymore receives a cable that his wife and daughter are returning imminently, so he pays a respectful farewell visit to Mary at her apartment. Tucked inside a warm personal note he leaves behind are several thousand dollar bills, so she can enjoy "some of the nice things in life" she has dreamt aloud of. Unwilling to accept the generous, yet innocent, gesture, she vows to return it. All the while nightclub MC Whitney King has been waiting to pounce. It turns out his angle in ensuring his girls are literally "hooked" by wealthy men was ''extortion''. He first tries to strongarm Mary into turning over the cash to him. She resists, they struggle, and he accidentally knocks her head over heels into the fireplace, killing her. Searching her apartment for the money he turns up both it and what now can be regarded as an incriminating note. Immediately, he blackmails Claymore, who pays heavily to keep himself free of scandal in order to remain the moving force of his do-gooder initiative. Upon his wife and daughter's return Claymore is confronted with the renewed relationship of Laurie with his antagonist, Thorne. The very first evening he generously concedes to their engagement, but is immediately drawn back into conflict with him over the pending aid proposal. Meanwhile, one of the gloves Claymore had worn to Mary's apartment that last evening has been dug up at her apartment by one of Thorne's reporters, triggering a search for the other glove and its owner - the presumed murderer. Thorne's paper drums it into a frenzy, gripping the city - and its D.A.. Claymore confesses his summer dalliance to both his wife and daughter, convincing them of his innocence in Mary's death. Seeing his struggle, and what losing the aid bill will do to him and the desperate children of Europe, each finds their own route to rallying behind him. Meanwhile, the D.A. begins to close in. Seeing this, Thorne is finally willing to put both his political differences with Claymore and his zealous role as a newspaper crusader to the side, helping him hide the incriminating glove falsely tying him to the murder from the prosecutor. Later that evening Laurie decides to turn detective, and, posing as an adventurous French coquette, shortly becomes hooked up with the dangerous King. Discovering the pair together sends his tempestuous girlfriend and dance partner Teddy Carlyle into a jealous rage. Buying time to learn more about his role, Laurie helps him talk his way out of it. Caught with Laurie a second time the same night by Teddy, King tries to wriggle free, but she threatens to turn him into the authorities. Infuriated, he shoots her point blank. Rushed to the hospital, she stonewalls both the D.A. and Laurie. Begged to tell the truth "for the children", she relents and fingers King as Mary's murderer with her last breath. The next morning Claymore is set to testify before the Senate in support of his charity proposal. The family is reunited as one, and father and future son-in-law warmly embrace one-another - yet vow to still fight like cats and dogs over the bill.

Cast

as Calvin Claymore *

as Laurie Claymore *

Fay Holden Dorothy Fay Hammerton (26 September 1893 – 23 June 1973), known professionally as Fay Holden, was a British-born, American-based actress. She was known as Gaby Fay early in her career. Biography Holden was born in Birmingham, England. After ...

as Mrs. (Calvin) Claymore *

as Hal Thorne *

Anne Gwynne Anne Gwynne (born Marguerite Gwynne Trice; December 10, 1918 – March 31, 2003) was an American actress who was known as one of the first scream queens because of her numerous appearances in horror films. Gwynne was also one of the most popula ...

as Mary Morgan *

Dan Dailey Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American dancer and actor. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947). Biography Early life D ...

as Whitney King *

Lee Bowman Lee Bowman (December 28, 1914 – December 25, 1979) was an American film and television actor. According to one obituary, "his roles ranged from romantic lead to worldly, wisecracking lout in his most famous years". Career Born in Cincinnati, ...

as Ronnie Clayton *

Virginia Grey Virginia Grey (March 22, 1917 – July 31, 2004) was an American actress who appeared in over 100 films and a number of radio and television shows from the 1930s to the early 1980s. Biography Grey was born on March 22, 1917, in Edendale, Calif ...

as Teddy Carlyle

References

External links

''Washington Melodrama''
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

* * * {{S. Sylvan Simon 1941 films American drama films 1941 drama films Films directed by S. Sylvan Simon Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films